Methods and systems for in-route item sorting and packaging

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems for in route mail sorting and packaging are disclosed. One aspect disclosed is a vehicle including a freight bay. The freight bay includes a plurality of item storage bins. The freight bay also includes a robot. The robot includes a means for grasping items and moving them between the item storage bins. For example, the robot may include an item manipulating attachment that in some aspects may include two or more extending portions for grasping items. The robot may assemble item packages from a plurality of individual items based on addresses of the items. The robot may also manipulate shrink wrap around the item package and position the item package within a station that heats the package and causes the shrink wrap to shrink around the items in the package, thereby forming the items into a package that is easy to deliver to a single address.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claimis identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the presentapplication are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. Thisapplication claims the benefit of priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/437,499, filed Dec. 21, 2016, the entire contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND Field

Embodiments relate generally to automated sorting of distribution itemsbased on a location of where the sorting is being performed.

Description of the Related Art

Current methods of item delivery are expensive, at least in part due topersonnel costs. For example, delivery of an item is labor intensive. Toperform a delivery, a human operator must drive a motorized vehiclealong a delivery route. At each delivery location, the human operatormay need to exit the vehicle and walk to a delivery point, such as amail box or mail slot to deposit the mail. Additionally, the humanoperator may need to select a variety of items, including envelopes,items, packages, flats, and the like, for delivery to each address. Forexample, there may be one or more items that are individually addressedto a particular address. There may also be one or more items that areaddressed to any customer on a particular route or within a particulargeographic area. The human operator may need to select from the varioustypes of items when assembling the set of items to be delivered to aparticular address. Thus, the human operator's tasks include driving thedelivery vehicle, assembling mail for a particular address, andphysically delivering the items to a specific drop off location for eachaddress along the delivery route. Thus, methods and systems to reducethe human operator's workload along a delivery route are needed toreduce the cost associated with item delivery.

SUMMARY

Methods and systems disclosed provide for automation of at least some ofa human operator's tasks during an item delivery route. In particular,disclosed are methods and systems for assembling a package specific to aparticular delivery address. The package may be comprised of itemsaddressed to the specific delivery address, in addition to items thatmay be addressed to any item customer on a particular delivery route orwithin a particular geographic area. In some aspects, the disclosedmethods and systems use automated means for assembling the deliverypackage. For example, the use of one or more robotic arms may beemployed within the delivery vehicle itself, enabling the assembly of adelivery package while performing an item delivery route.

In one aspect described herein, a vehicle comprises a freight bay; aplurality of item storage bins disposed within the freight bay; astorage rack containing items to be delivered along a delivery route; arobot, disposed within the freight bay, the robot comprising an itemmanipulating attachment; and an electronic hardware processor, operablyconnected to the robot, wherein the processor is configured to: identifya location of the vehicle along the delivery route; identify a specificdelivery point based on the location of the vehicle; identify a locationof the items to be delivered to a specific delivery point along thedelivery route; control the robot to retrieve the items to be deliveredto the identified specific delivery point; and move the items to bedelivered to the identified specific delivery point to one of theplurality of item storage bins.

In some embodiments, the freight bay comprises an opening, and the robotis configured to move the item from the item storage bin through theopening to a delivery location.

In some embodiments, the vehicle further comprises a cab and an accessportal between the freight bay and the cab, and wherein the robot isconfigured to move the item from the item storage bin through the accessportal to the delivery location, wherein the delivery location is withinthe cab.

In some embodiments, the electronic hardware processor is configured tocause the robot to retrieve the items intended for delivery to thespecific delivery point and to cause the robot to deposit the items in atray within the vehicle.

In some embodiments, the electronic hardware processor is configured tocause the robot to move the tray to the item storage bin.

In some embodiments, the vehicle further comprising a shrink wrapstation disposed within the freight bay, wherein the electronic hardwareprocessor is configured to cause the robot to move the tray to and fromthe shrink wrap station.

In some embodiments, the shrink wrap station comprises a heat source,and wherein the electronic hardware processor is further configured toenergize the heat source after causing the robot to move the tray to theshrink wrap station.

In some embodiments, the hardware processor is configured to command therobot to position shrink wrap within the item bin so as to substantiallyenclose the items disposed in the tray.

In some embodiments, the robot comprises an optical scanner configuredto read an intended delivery point on the items.

In some embodiments, the robot comprises a base portion, a hinge, and anarm, the base attached to the hinge and the arm attached to the hinge,the hinge providing for a variable position of the arm relative to thebase.

In another aspect described herein, a method for delivering itemscomprises providing a vehicle having a plurality of item storage binsdisposed within the freight bay and a storage rack containing items tobe delivered along a delivery route; identifying, via a processor, alocation of the vehicle along the delivery route; identifying, via theprocessor, a specific delivery point based on the location of thevehicle; identifying, via the processor, a location of the items to bedelivered to a specific delivery point along the delivery route;retrieving, via a robot disposed within the vehicle, items to bedelivered to the identified specific delivery point; and move theretrieved items to a delivery location.

In some embodiments, the delivery location is a location within thevehicle accessible by a carrier.

In some embodiments, the delivery location is a mailbox external to thevehicle.

In some embodiments, identifying the specific delivery point comprisesidentifying the next sequential delivery point along the delivery routeto which items are intended for delivery.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises moving the items to bedelivered to the specific delivery point to one of the plurality of itemstorage bins.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises shrink wrapping theidentified items to be delivered to the specific delivery point prior tomoving the items to the delivery location.

In some embodiments, the items are moved to the delivery location as thevehicle is moved to the next sequential delivery point.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the figures, similar components and/or features can have the samereference label. Further, various components of the same type can bedistinguished by following the reference label by a second label thatdistinguishes among the similar components. If only the first referencelabel is used in the specification, the description is applicable to anyone of the similar components having the same first reference labelirrespective of the second reference label.

FIG. 1 is an overview diagram of an exemplary item delivery route.

FIG. 2 is an internal top plan view of an exemplary delivery vehicleimplementing one or more of the disclosed embodiments.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an exemplary freight bay.

FIG. 4A shows a cut away elevation view of exemplary item tray.

FIG. 4B shows the exemplary item tray of FIG. 4A after a robot has movedto a second position.

FIG. 4C shows exemplary items enclosed within shrink wrap.

FIG. 5 shows an elevation view of an exemplary item tray within a shrinkwrap station.

FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of an exemplary item sorting computer.

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary database table within the item storagedatabase.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary structure for an item route database.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for preparing item packagesfor delivery to a specific delivery point.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of one exemplary method of determining a nextspecific address to package.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an exemplary method of retrieving an itempackage for a stop.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth toprovide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. One havingordinary skill in the art should recognize that the disclosure can bepracticed without these specific details. In some instances, circuits,structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail to avoidobscuring the present disclosure. As used herein, the term item ordistribution item can be a mailpiece, an envelope, a parcel, a package,a flat, magazine, catalog, residual mail, or any item capable of beingdelivered by a distribution network.

FIG. 1 is an overview diagram 100 of an item delivery route. The itemdelivery route 104 includes a series of item delivery points 102 a-d.The delivery points 102 a-d are depicted as dwellings, but could be anylocation to which an item is to be delivered, such as, for example, abusiness, a P.O. Box, a receptacle, a vehicle, or any other destination.An item delivery vehicle 101 may stop at a number of item delivery stops103 a-d along the item delivery route 104, which can correspond to theone or more items to the delivery points 102 a-d, in order to facilitateitem delivery to the delivery points 102 a-d.

To facilitate each delivery at the delivery points 102 a-d using knownmethods, a human operator of the delivery vehicle 101, such as acarrier, may be required to exit the delivery vehicle 101 and walk tothe delivery points 102 a-d from a delivery stop 103 a-d. Additionally,the human operator of the delivery vehicle 101 may also be required tosort through a variety of items, such as mail pieces, items, envelopes,and the like, located within the delivery vehicle 101 to identify one ormore items that should be delivered to a particular delivery point 102a-d. In some embodiments, the items for delivery along the route 104 canbe sorted according to the route 104, but may not be segregatedaccording to items intended for delivery to each individual deliverypoint 102 a-d. The human operator may need to take time to segregateonly the delivery items for delivery to a particular delivery point 102a-d, or to a group of delivery points 102 a-d. To improve efficiency andaccuracy of the item delivery process, systems and methods describedherein can be advantageously implemented.

FIG. 2 is an top view of internal portions of an exemplary deliveryvehicle 201 implementing one or more of the disclosed embodiments. FIG.2 shows the delivery vehicle 201 includes a cab section 202 and freightbay section 204. The cab section 202 includes a steering wheel 206 anddriver's seat 208. In some contemplated embodiments, the deliveryvehicle may be autonomously controlled, and thus may not include thesteering wheel 206 and/or driver's seat 208. In the exemplary deliveryvehicle 201, the cab 202 also includes an item computer 225. The itemcomputer 225 may electronically control one or more of the componentsdiscussed below with respect to FIG. 2 to accomplish item sortingaccording to one or more of the disclosed aspects.

In some aspects, the freight bay 204 includes two item racks 210 and212. The freight bay may also include a robot trackway 214. The freightbay section 204 also includes a robot 215. The robot 215 includes an arm219 and item manipulator 218.

The arm 219 can be an articulated arm with multiple joints and motors orservos to control the various movements of the arm 219, and can besimilar to those used in the art. The item manipulator 218 can be a oneor more pincher arms, fingers, grabbers, or the like. In someembodiments, the item manipulator 218 can be a vacuum-poweredattachment, which uses a vacuum force to pick up items. The descriptionsof the arm 219 and the item manipulator 218 are exemplary only, and aperson of skill in the art will understand that other types of roboticarms and manipulators could be implemented without departing from thescope of the current disclosure.

In some aspects, the robot 215 is configured to move along the trackway214. The robot may sort items stored in one or more of the item racks210 and/or 212 in order to group items associated with a single deliveryaddress together into an item package.

For example, the item racks 210 and 212 can line the interior walls ofthe delivery vehicle 201, and can include shelves, bins, or otherstorage devices. The item racks 210 and 212 may include designators orindicators to identify portions or segments of the shelves, and whichcan be marked by human and/or computer readable codes. The item racks210 and 212 can store or hold items addressed to a variety of specificaddresses, which may be sorted via barcode information or intelligentaddress code information. This sorting may have been performed prior tothe items being loaded on to the delivery vehicle 201. During loading ofthe delivery vehicle 201, the loaded location of the items can be storedin the item computer 225. The item rack 210 or 212 may also separatelyinclude items addressed to any address within a particular geographicregion or along a particular postal delivery route.

In some aspects, the robot 215 may be configured to group itemsassociated with a specific delivery address with one or more itemsaddressed to a general address, such as a geographic region or postalroute that is appropriate to deliver to the specific delivery address.By grouping the items that are appropriate for delivery to the specificaddress, the robot 215 facilitates a human operator's task and reducesan amount of time required to delivery items to that address. Thisgrouped set of items may be referred to as an “item package” throughoutthis disclosure.

In some aspects, the freight bay may also be equipped with a shrink wrapstation 220. The shrink wrap station 220 may be configured with a heaterthat heats a heat-deformable polymer wrap, such as a shrink wrap,grouped set of items “item package”.

In some aspects, the trackway 214 is disposed along a portion of thefloor of a delivery vehicle 201, and includes features to mount andsupport a portion of the robot 215. The trackway 214 has a moveableconnection to the robot 215, and is controlled by a computer orprocessor to allow the robot 215 to move along the trackway 214, therebyallowing the robot 215 to access the item racks 210 and 212, and also toextend to an area external to the delivery vehicle 201.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, an arm 219 of the robot 215 is extendedon the right side 222 of the delivery vehicle 201. The ability of thearm 219 of the robot 215 to extend to an area external to the deliveryvehicle 201 may enable the robot 215 to deliver item packages directlyto one or more delivery address drop locations associated with one ormore corresponding delivery points 102 a-d. For example, the robot 215may deliver an item package directly to a delivery point 102 a-d, suchas, for example, a mailbox, without assistance from the human operatorin some aspects.

FIG. 2 also shows an access portal 230 between the cab 202 and thefreight bay 204. The access portal 230 can be an opening in a dividingwall between the cab 202 and the freight bay 204, and can allow therobot 215 to extend the item manipulator 218 into the cab 202 of thedelivery vehicle 201 or allow the human operator to reach into thefreight bay 204. This may allow the robot 215 to present items or itempackages at a position convenient to a human delivery person.

FIG. 3 shows another view of the freight bay 204. The freight bay 204includes the item racks 210 and 212, as shown above with respect to FIG.2. The item rack 210 is shown in FIG. 3 to be comprised of a pluralityof individual storage locations or item storage bins, which are eachdesignated for specific delivery addresses, shown as item storage bins210 a and 210 u. Other item storage bins within the item rack 210 areunlabeled to preserve figure clarity. The individual item storage binssuch as 210 a and 210 u may be used to store item packages after theyhave been assembled by the robot 215.

The item rack 212 can include a shelves 212 a-212 e on which parcels oritems can be placed. In some embodiments, the shelves 212 a-212 e can beused to store large items that will not fit in the item storage bins 210a, 210 u. In some embodiments, the shelves 212 a-212 e can be used tostore items which have not yet been separated according to deliverypoint. After the items are separated according to delivery point, aswill be described herein, the items can be placed in one of the itemstorage bins 210 a, 210 u.

The robot 215 includes a base portion 216, hinge portion 217, armportion 219, and item manipulating attachment 218. The hinge portion isoperably connected to the base portion 216 and the arm portion 219, andallows the arm portion 217 to move relative to the base portion 215. Thebase portion 216 is mounted to the trackway 214. The base portion 216 isconfigured to move within the trackway 214 so as to position the robot215 within the freight bay 204. The robot arm 215 may be configured toremove an item package from one of the individual item storage bins,such as item storage bin 210 a or 210 u and position the item packagesuch that the human operator may easily obtain them for delivery to anaddress. For example, the robot 215 may position the item package withinthe cab 202 shown in FIG. 2.

The robot 215 also includes a camera or scanner 221. The camera 221 canbe an optical camera, a bar code reader, or imaging device configured toread labels on the item racks 210, 212, and to read delivery pointinformation on the items. For example, the robot 215 may be used tosegregate, separate, or sort items in the vehicle 201. The camera 221 isused to image the item to determine the delivery point of the items inorder to facilitate segregation or sortation of items. The camera 221 isin communication with the item computer 225 and is configured to sendimages to the item computer 225 for decoding and/or processing.

In some embodiments, the robot arm 215 may provide an item packagedirectly to an item delivery location associated with an address. Forexample, the robot arm 215 may retrieve an item package from one of theitem storage bins 210 a or 210 u and move along the trackway 214 toposition the item package outside the delivery vehicle 101 via anopening 302 in the freight bay 204. This may be accomplished in someaspects by positioning the base 216 of the robot 215 at positon 320 inthe trackway 214, and extending the arm 219 through the opening 302. Bypositioning the item package at an appropriate location external to thedelivery vehicle 101, via the opening 302, the robot 215 may deliver theitem package directly to an item delivery location. In some otheraspects, positioning the robot base 216 at position 320 in the trackway214 may enable the arm 219 to extend through the access portal 230discussed above with respect to FIG. 2.

FIG. 4A shows an exemplary item tray. The item tray 401 may beconfigured to fit within one or more of the item storage bins 210 a or210 u shown in FIG. 3 and or within any space within the item racks 210and/or 212. The item tray 401 is shown lined with shrink wrap 406. Therobot 215 may be configured to position a first plurality of items 408which are intended for delivery to a delivery point, and a secondplurality of items 410 which are intended for delivery to a generaladdress that are appropriate for delivery to the specific address 410,within the item tray 401.

For example, the first plurality of items 408 can include letters,flats, parcels, and the like which are addressed to a recipient at aspecific delivery point, and which are sorted according to deliverypoint prior to being placed on the vehicle 201. The second plurality ofitems 410 can be items which are provided for delivery to all addressesalong a route, and which are not specifically addressed to recipients ata delivery point, such as every day direct mail, bulk mailings, and thelike. The robot 215 can collect the first plurality of items 408 from afirst location within the vehicle 201, such as the item storage bin 210a or from shelf 212 a and place it in the tray 401. The robot 215 cancollect the second plurality of items 410 from a different location inthe vehicle, 201, such as, for example, a place where unsorted bulkitems are stored, and place the second plurality of items 210 in thetray 401 as well.

FIG. 4B shows the exemplary item tray 401 after the robot 215 has movedto a second position 430. From the second position 430, the robot arm215 may be configured to grasp at least one portion of the shrink wrap406 with the item manipulator 218. After grasping the portion of theshrink wrap 406, the robot 215 and/or the robot arm 219 may beconfigured to move in the direction indicated by the arrow 420,substantially enclosing the items 408 and 410 within the shrink wrap406, as shown in FIG. 4C. FIG. 4C shows that items 408 and 410 have beenenclosed within the shrink wrap 406 via the robot 215.

FIG. 5 shows the item tray 401 within the shrink wrap station 220. Theitem tray 401 may be positioned within the shrink wrap station 220 viathe robot arm 215. The shrink wrap station 220 includes a heat source502. After the item tray 401 is positioned within the shrink wrapstation 220, the heat source 502 may energize to produce radiant heat504 which will heat and deform the shrink wrap 406. Upon reaching aparticular temperature, the shrink wrap 406 shrinks around the first andsecond plurality of items 408 and 410, forming a shrink-wrapped itempackage that is easily delivered to a delivery address by a humanoperator or by the robot 215. After the shrink wrap 406 has formedaround the items 408 and 410, the robot 215 (not shown in FIG. 5) maymove the item tray 401 to one of the item storage bins 210 a or 210 ufor storage until the delivery vehicle 101 reaches a delivery addressassociated with the item package.

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary item computer. An item computer 625 can besimilar to those described elsewhere herein. The item computer 625 isshown to include a robot controller 602, a processor 604, a globalpositioning system (GPS) receiver 606, an item location database 608, anitem route database 610, and a shrink wrap controller 612. The robotcontroller 602 may be comprised of any type of electronic processorcapable of controlling the robot 215 discussed above. The robotcontroller 602 may be operably connected to the robot 215 so as toexecute commands to move the robot 215 along the trackway 214. The robotcontroller 602 may also be configured to move the robot arm 219 relativeto the robot base 216 via the hinge 217, and to operate the itemmanipulator 218. The robot controller 602 may also be configured to moveitems within the freight bay 204 by grasping the items with the itemmanipulating attachment 218. For example, as discussed above, the robotcontroller 602 may be configured to move items addressed to a specificaddress to the item tray 401. The robot controller 602 may be configuredto move items addressed to a general address appropriate for thespecific address, via the robot 215, to the item tray 401. The robotcontroller 602 may also be configured to enclose the items within shrinkwrap 406. The robot controller 602 may also be configured to move theitem tray 401 into the shrink wrap station 220.

In some embodiments, the robot controller 602 is in communication withthe camera 221, and can receive signals from the camera 221. The robotcontroller 602 can pass this information to the processor 604 forprocessing.

The processor 604 may be configured to control the shrink wrap station220 in order to sort and/or shrink wrap items within the freight bay204. The processor 604 may also be configured to control the variouscomponents in order to deliver one or more items, in some cases, withthe items enclosed in shrink wrap, to a human operator or directly to adelivery address, for example, via the robot 215 and opening 302. Theprocessor 604 may maintain location information for items within thefreight may 204 in the item location database 608. One exemplarystructure for the item location database 608 is shown in FIG. 7.

The shrink wrap controller 612 may be operably connected to the shrinkwrap station 220. For example, the shrink wrap controller 612 may beconfigured to energize or de-energize the heat source 502. In someaspects, the shrink wrap controller 612 may receive temperaturemeasurements from a temperature sensor included in the shrink wrapstation 220 (not shown in FIG. 5), and control the heat source 502 basedon the temperature measurements. For example, the shrink wrap controller612 may control the heat source 502 to keep a temperature within theshrink wrap station within a temperature zone, so as to activateshrinking of shrink wrap, without exceeding safe temperatures.

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary database table within the item locationdatabase 608. Each row of the table may include an item identificationnumber 702, an address to which the item is addressed 704, a locationwithin the freight bay 706, and a package identification 708. The itemidentification 702 may be an intelligent mail barcode or an intelligentaddress code in some aspects. The address 704 may indicate whether theitem is addressed to a specific address or to a general address, such asa postal route customer or a postal customer within a particulargeographic region. The location 706 may identify where in the freightbay 204 the item is currently located. For example, the location 706 mayidentify whether the item is in the rack 210 or the rack 212. Thelocation 706 may alternatively identify in which item storage bin, suchas item storage bins 210 a or 210 u the item is currently located. Thepackage identification 708 may indicate whether the item has beenpackaged for delivery. For example, the package identification 708 mayindicate whether the item identified by the item ID 702 has beenincluded with other items in an item package assembled by the robot 215.For example, a predetermined value may indicate the item is not includedin a package. A range of other values may indicate the item is includedin a package having the indicated value as an identifier.

In some aspects, empty tray locations may be identified via the itemstorage database. For example, in some aspects, an entry in the itemlocation database 608 that has an item ID 702 set to a predeterminednumber (such as NULL or zero in some aspects) may include a location infreight bay 706 that stores an empty tray. Empty trays may be utilizedto assemble item packages in some aspects.

Returning to FIG. 6, the processor 604 may further be configured toreceive location information from the GPS receiver 606. The processor604 may be further configured to receive item route information from theitem route database 610. An exemplary structure for the item routedatabase 610 is shown in FIG. 8 below.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary structure for an item route database. A rowfor the exemplary item route database 610 includes a stop identificationfield 802, an address of the stop 804, a geographic location of the stop805, a prior stop 806, and a subsequent stop 808. The stop ID field 802uniquely identifies a particular stop. The address field 804 provides apostal address for the stop. The geographic location 805 identifies ageographic location of the stop. The geographic location 805 may be inthe form of GPS coordinates in some aspects. The prior stop 806 andsubsequent stop 808 fields identify stop identification fields 802 ofstops prior to and subsequent to the stop respectively, thus,effectively ordering the stops within the item route database 810 andproviding a doubly linked list to make traversal of the route in eitherdirection from any one particular stop relatively easy.

Returning to FIG. 6, based on the item route database 610 and the itemlocation database 608, the processor 604 may sort and/or package itemsto prepare them for delivery. For example, the processor 604 may beconfigured to sort and/or package items for delivery to a specificdelivery address before the delivery vehicle 101 arrives at the specificdelivery address.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a method for preparing item packages fordelivery to a specific address. In some aspects, the process 900 may beperformed by the processor 604.

The process 900 begins in block 902, a specific address or deliverypoint for delivery is identified. In some aspects, the determination ofthe specific delivery point is based on GPS data received from the GPSreceiver 606. In some aspects, the determination is based on item routedata received from the item route database 610.

The specific delivery point can be determined via the GPS receiver 606as the next delivery point along the delivery route, or it can be acollection of upcoming delivery points along the route.

In block 904, an empty tray location is identified. For example, in someaspects, block 904 may search the item location database for an entrythat has an item ID field 702 equal to a predetermined number, such aszero or NULL, as discussed above. Such entries may identify an emptytray location in the freight bay 204 via the location field 706.

In block 906, locations of items intended for delivery to the specificdelivery point determined in block 902 are determined. In some aspects,block 906 may search the item location database 608 for entries having aspecific address field 704 matching the location determined in block902. The locations of these items will be determined based on theentry's location in freight bay field 706.

In some embodiments, the location of items intended for delivery to thespecific delivery point can be identified using an the camera or scanneron the robot 215. For example, the items for delivery can be arrangedsequentially according to delivery point within the vehicle. The robot215, using the camera 221 can image the items and the item computer 225can determine how many of the items are intended for delivery to thespecific delivery point. For example, as the robot 215 examines theitems for deliver, the camera 221 can identify the intended deliverypoints for the items and retrieve only the items intended for deliveryto the specific delivery point. In some embodiments, the camera 221 canidentify when the intended delivery points on the items change from thespecific delivery point to another delivery point, and, accordingly,retrieve all the items before the detected change in delivery point.

In block 908, the one or more items are moved from the locationsdetermined in block 906 to the tray determined in block 904. In someaspects, block 908 may be accomplished by commanding the robot 215 tomove the items to the tray. For example, the processor 604 may sendinstructions to the robot controller 602 to accomplish the movement ofthe items. In some aspects, this may include instructing the robot topick up items from their locations and then instructing the robot 215via the robot controller 602 to deposit the items in the empty tray.

In block 910, one or more second items with general addressesappropriate for delivery to a specific address are determined. In someaspects, block 906 may include searching the item location database 608for entries having an address field 704 including a general address andnot a specific address. A determination may then be made as to whetheran item with the identified general address is appropriate for deliveryto the specific address identified in block 902.

In block 912, the one or more second items are moved to the traydetermined in block 904. In some aspects, block 912 includinginstructing the robot 215 via the robot controller 602, to retrieve thesecond items from their locations as indicated by the location field 706of the item location database 608, and further instructing the robot tomove the retrieved items to the tray location of block 904. After block912 completes, an item package may exist in the tray.

In block 914, the item package formed by the completion of block 912 isshrink wrapped In some aspects, block 914 includes instructing the robot215 to move the tray to the shrink wrap station 220. The heat source 502may then be energized to cause the shrink wrap 406 to enclose the itempackage. For example, in some aspects, the processor 604 may instructthe shrink wrap controller 612 to heat the shrink wrap station 220 afterthe item package is moved to the shrink wrap station.

In block 916, the item package is moved to a storage location. Forexample, block 916 may include instructing the robot 215, via the robotcontroller 602, to retrieve the item package from the shrink wrapstation 220, and further include instructing the robot 215 to move theitem package to an available item storage bin, such as item storage bins210 a or 210 u, shown above with respect to FIG. 2.

In block 918, the number of stored item packages is compared to athreshold. If the number of stored item packages is above a threshold,sorting and packaging of items via process 900 may pause. The pause mayreduce the need for item storage bins to store item packages beforedelivery. If the number of stored packages is not above the threshold,process 900 may repeat for a next specific address at block 902.

In some embodiments, the process 900 occurs at intervals throughout theroute. In some embodiments, the process 900 occurs for the next deliverypoint along the route. The process 900 can advantageously occur whilethe human operator is driving the vehicle to the next delivery point, orwhile the human operator exits the vehicle 101 to place the items to bedelivered in a mailbox, on a porch, or in another similar location.

Process 900 is described with reference to step 914, where the items fordelivery to a specific delivery point. This is exemplary only. Theprocess 900 can proceed without a shrink wrapping step, and the itemsintended for delivery to the specific delivery point can be retrievedand placed in an item storage bin without being shrink wrapped. A personof skill in the art will understand how to implement process 900, andany other embodiment or process described herein without shrink wrappingthe items.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an exemplary method of determining a specificaddress for which items will be packaged. In some aspects, the process902 may be performed as part of the process 900 of FIG. 9. In someaspects, the process 902 may be performed by the processor 604 discussedabove with respect to FIG. 6.

In block 1002, GPS coordinates are received from a GPS receiver. Forexample, in some aspects, the processor 604 may receive GPS coordinatesfor the delivery vehicle 101 from the GPS receiver 606.

In block 1004, a next stop to package is determined based on the GPScoordinate. To perform block 1004, in some aspects, the processor 604may identify a first stop in the item route database 610 closest to theGPS coordinate. Based on the address field 804 of the first stop, theprocessor 604 may then search the item location database 608 to identifyitems appropriate for the address identified in the address field 804.This may include items with address fields 704 matching the addressfield 804, or address fields 704 including a general address appropriatefor delivery to the address specified by the address field 804 for thefirst stop. The processor 604 may then identify if any of the identifieditems have a package identification 708 indicating the item has not beenpackaged. If so, the first stop is the next stop to be packaged.Otherwise, a second step that is second closest to the GPS coordinatemay be identified, and the item location database 608 searched toidentify unpackaged items for the second stop. This process may repeatuntil a stop with unpackaged items is identified.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an exemplary method of retrieving an itempackage for a stop. In some aspects, the process 1100 described belowwith respect to FIG. 11 may be performed by the processor 604. Forexample, instructions included in an electronic hardware memory of theitem computer 225 may configure the processor 604 to perform one or moreof the functions discussed below.

In block 1102 a coordinate is received from a GPS receiver. In someaspects, the processor 604 may receive the GPS coordinate from the GPSreceiver 602. The GPS coordinate may indicate a location of the deliveryvehicle 101.

Decision state 1104 determines whether the coordinate matches a stopalong a postal route. Decision state 1104 may be accomplished bysearching the postal route database 610 for a geographic location 805within a threshold distance of the GPS coordinate. The thresholddistance may be one (1) foot, one (1) meter, two (2) meters, three (3)meters, four (4) meters, five (5) meters, or any distance. If a match isnot found, process 1100 returns to block 1102.

If the GPS coordinate does match with a stop on the route, process 1100moves to block 1106, which identifies a location of items within thevehicle for delivery at the identified stop. In some aspects, block 1106determines which item storage bin within the delivery vehicle 101 holdsan item package for the identified stop. In some aspects, the itempackage may have been previously assembled by process 900, discussedabove with respect to FIG. 9. In some aspects, process 900 may havestored the location of the item package in the item database 608. Forexample, each item in the item database 608 may indicate the (same)location of the package including the item. Thus, block 1106 may searchthe item database 608 for items having an address field corresponding tothe address of the stop. Under conditions where process 900 is packagingitems before arrival at a stop location, any items for the stop shouldbe packaged and waiting in a location within an item storage bin, suchas one of item storage bins 210 a or 210 u discussed above with respectto FIG. 2.

In block 1108, the item package for the stop is retrieved from thelocation identified in block 1106. In some aspects, block 1108 includescommanding the robot 215 to grasp the item package in the identifiedlocation with the item manipulating attachment 218. In some aspects,this may be accomplished by the processor 604 sending an appropriatecommand to the robot controller 602. The command may be comprised of atleast two steps, such as move to a position on the trackway 214corresponding to the item package's location. Extend the arm 219 to aposition that allows the item manipulating attachment to grasp thepackage at its identified location, and command the item manipulatingattachment to close around the package.

In block 1110, the item package is moved to either a pick up location orthe item package is delivered directly to the stop. For example, in someaspects, the item may be moved to a position that allows a humanoperator of the delivery vehicle 101 to obtain the item package forhuman delivery. For example, this position may be, in some aspects, aposition within the cab 202 of the delivery vehicle 101. Thus, in theseaspects, the processor 604 may send a command to the robot controller602 to move the robot 215 to a position 320 that provides for access tothe cab 202. The processor 604 may then command the robot controller 602to move the robot arm 219 through the access portal 230 and present theitem package for human delivery.

In some aspects, the item may be moved to a position that allows adelivery of the item to the delivery point to be completed. For example,in some aspects, block 1110 may include commanding the robot 215 to movethe item package into an item drop box, such as a mailbox, by extendingthe item package to a position external to the delivery vehicle 101. Forexample, in some aspects, the arm 219 of the robot 215 may be movedthrough the window 302 to affect a delivery to an item drop box. Uponplacing the item package in the drop box, the item manipulatingattachment 218 may release the item package. The robot arm 219 may thenwithdraw back through the opening 302 into the freight bay 204. Thedelivery vehicle 101 may then move to a next stop.

In some embodiments, the robot 215 moves the item package to a locationwithin the vehicle accessible by a carrier, wherein the carrierretrieves the item package and delivers the items to the delivery point.

The methods disclosed herein include one or more actions for achievingthe described method. The method and/or actions can be interchanged withone another without departing from the scope of the claims. In otherwords, unless a specific order of actions is specified, the order and/oruse of specific actions can be modified without departing from the scopeof the claims.

The functions described can be implemented in hardware, software,firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, thefunctions can be stored as one or more instructions on a tangiblecomputer-readable medium. A storage medium can be any available tangiblemedium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and notlimitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM,CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or othermagnetic storage devices, or any other tangible medium that can be usedto carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions ordata structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Disk and disc,as used herein, include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc,digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray® disc where disksusually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce dataoptically with lasers.

A computer program product can perform certain operations presentedherein. For example, such a computer program product can be a computerreadable tangible medium having instructions tangibly stored (and/orencoded) thereon, the instructions being executable by one or moreprocessors to perform the operations described herein. The computerprogram product can include packaging material. Software or instructionscan also be transmitted over a transmission medium. For example,software can be transmitted from a website, server, or other remotesource using a transmission medium such as a coaxial cable, fiber opticcable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wirelesstechnology such as infrared, radio, or microwave.

Further, modules and/or other appropriate means for performing themethods and techniques described herein can be downloaded and/orotherwise obtained by suitable terminals and/or coupled to servers, orthe like, to facilitate the transfer of means for performing the methodsdescribed herein. Alternatively, various methods described herein can beprovided via storage means (e.g., RAM, ROM, a physical storage mediumsuch as a CD or floppy disk, etc.), such that a user terminal and/orbase station can obtain the various methods upon coupling or providingthe storage means to the device. Moreover, any other suitable techniquefor providing the methods and techniques described herein to a devicecan be utilized. Features implementing functions can also be physicallylocated at various positions, including being distributed such thatportions of functions are implemented at different physical locations.

In describing the present invention, the following terminology will beused: The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referentsunless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example,reference to an item includes reference to one or more items. The term“ones” refers to one, two, or more, and generally applies to theselection of some or all of a quantity. The term “plurality” refers totwo or more of an item. The term “about” means quantities, dimensions,sizes, formulations, parameters, shapes and other characteristics neednot be exact, but can be approximated and/or larger or smaller, asdesired, reflecting acceptable tolerances, conversion factors, roundingoff, measurement error and the like and other factors known to those ofskill in the art.

The term “substantially” means that the recited characteristic,parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations orvariations including, for example, tolerances, measurement error,measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those ofskill in the art, can occur in amounts that do not preclude the effectthe characteristic was intended to provide. Numerical data can beexpressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understoodthat such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity andthus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numericalvalues explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but alsointerpreted to include all of the individual numerical values orsub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value andsub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical rangeof “about 1 to 5” should be interpreted to include not only theexplicitly recited values of about 1 to about 5, but also includeindividual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus,included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3 and4 and sub-ranges such as 1-3, 2-4 and 3-5, etc. This same principleapplies to ranges reciting only one numerical value (e.g., “greater thanabout 1”) and should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or thecharacteristics being described.

A plurality of items can be presented in a common list for convenience.However, these lists should be construed as though each member of thelist is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus,no individual member of such list should be construed as a de factoequivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on theirpresentation in a common group without indications to the contrary.Furthermore, where the terms “and” and “or” are used in conjunction witha list of items, they are to be interpreted broadly, in that any one ormore of the listed items can be used alone or in combination with otherlisted items.

The term “alternatively” refers to selection of one of two or morealternatives, and is not intended to limit the selection to only thoselisted alternatives or to only one of the listed alternatives at a time,unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “coupled” asused herein does not require that the components be directly connectedto each other. Instead, the term is intended to also includeconfigurations with indirect connections where one or more othercomponents can be included between coupled components. For example, suchother components can include amplifiers, attenuators, isolators,directional couplers, redundancy switches, and the like. Also, as usedherein, including in the claims, “or” as used in a list of itemsprefaced by “at least one of” indicates a disjunctive list such that,for example, a list of “at least one of A, B, or C” means A or B or C orAB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Further, the term“exemplary” does not mean that the described example is preferred orbetter than other examples. As used herein, a “set” of elements isintended to mean “one or more” of those elements, except where the setis explicitly required to have more than one or explicitly permitted tobe a null set.

Various changes, substitutions, and alterations to the techniquesdescribed herein can be made without departing from the technology ofthe teachings as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope ofthe disclosure and claims is not limited to the particular aspects ofthe process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means,methods, and actions described above. Processes, machines, manufacture,compositions of matter, means, methods, or actions, presently existingor later to be developed, that perform substantially the same functionor achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding aspectsdescribed herein can be utilized. Accordingly, the appended claimsinclude within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture,compositions of matter, means, methods, or actions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle, comprising: a freight bay; a pluralityof item storage bins disposed within the freight bay; a storage rackcontaining items to be delivered along a delivery route; a robot,disposed within the freight bay, the robot comprising an itemmanipulating attachment; and an electronic hardware processor, operablyconnected to the robot, wherein the processor is configured to: identifya location of the vehicle along the delivery route; identify a specificdelivery point based on the location of the vehicle; identify a locationof the items to be delivered to a specific delivery point along thedelivery route; control the robot to retrieve the items to be deliveredto the identified specific delivery point; and move the items to bedelivered to the identified specific delivery point to one of theplurality of item storage bins.
 2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein thefreight bay comprises an opening, and the robot is configured to movethe item from the item storage bin through the opening to a deliverylocation.
 3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the vehicle furthercomprises a cab and an access portal between the freight bay and thecab, and wherein the robot is configured to move the item from the itemstorage bin through the access portal to the delivery location, whereinthe delivery location is within the cab.
 4. The vehicle of claim 1,wherein the electronic hardware processor is configured to cause therobot to retrieve the items intended for delivery to the specificdelivery point and to cause the robot to deposit the items in a traywithin the vehicle.
 5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the electronichardware processor is configured to cause the robot to move the tray tothe item storage bin.
 6. The vehicle of claim 4, further comprising ashrink wrap station disposed within the freight bay, wherein theelectronic hardware processor is configured to cause the robot to movethe tray to and from the shrink wrap station.
 7. The vehicle of claim 6,wherein the shrink wrap station comprises a heat source, and wherein theelectronic hardware processor is further configured to energize the heatsource after causing the robot to move the tray to the shrink wrapstation.
 8. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the hardware processor isconfigured to command the robot to position shrink wrap within the itembin so as to substantially enclose the items disposed in the tray. 9.The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the robot comprises an optical scannerconfigured to read an intended delivery point on the items.
 10. Thevehicle of claim 1, wherein the robot comprises a base portion, a hinge,and an arm, the base attached to the hinge and the arm attached to thehinge, the hinge providing for a variable position of the arm relativeto the base.
 11. A method for delivering items, comprising: providing avehicle having a plurality of item storage bins disposed within thefreight bay and a storage rack containing items to be delivered along adelivery route; identifying, via a processor, a location of the vehiclealong the delivery route; identifying, via the processor, a specificdelivery point based on the location of the vehicle; identifying, viathe processor, a location of the items to be delivered to a specificdelivery point along the delivery route; retrieving, via a robotdisposed within the vehicle, items to be delivered to the identifiedspecific delivery point; and move the retrieved items to a deliverylocation.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the delivery location is alocation within the vehicle accessible by a carrier.
 13. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the delivery location is a mailbox external to thevehicle.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the specificdelivery point comprises identifying the next sequential delivery pointalong the delivery route to which items are intended for delivery. 15.The method of claim 11, further comprising moving the items to bedelivered to the specific delivery point to one of the plurality of itemstorage bins.
 16. The method of claim 11, further comprising shrinkwrapping the identified items to be delivered to the specific deliverypoint prior to moving the items to the delivery location.
 17. The methodof claim 11, wherein the items are moved to the delivery location as thevehicle is moved to the next sequential delivery point.